Reviews The Complexities of Eisenhower Eisenhower in War and Peace. Jean Ed- rently a senior scholar in the history eration Overlord—the Allied invasion ward Smith. Random House. 976 pages; department at Columbia University. of Europe—opines Smith. According black-and-white photographs; maps; Smith’s Eisenhower is far more com- to Smith, President Roosevelt took the notes; index; $40. plex than his earlier biographers noted. measure of both men and “concluded The Eisenhower who emerges from [Eisenhower] was best suited to lead a By COL Cole C. Kingseed these pages is an ambitious military of- multinational force across the Chan- U.S. Army retired ficer whose rise to prominence as nel.” Smith also posits that Eisen- supreme commander often “reflected hower “didn’t crack the Solid South n the 50-plus years since he relin- circumstance more than choice.” with his elections in 1952 and 1956, but I quished the Presidency, no chief he laid the groundwork for a subse- executive has undergone a more re- quent Republican Party renaissance.” markable transformation in public es- With regard to civil rights, Smith timation than Dwight D. Eisenhower. finds no evidence that Ike claimed his In Eisenhower in War and Peace, Jean greatest mistake as President was ap- Edward Smith plows familiar ground pointing Earl Warren as chief justice of pioneered by columnist Murray Kemp- the . To the contrary, Smith ton and Princeton’s Fred I. Greenstein, sees abundant evidence that Eisen- who first challenged the notion that hower did not. Smith also contends that Eisenhower served as a caretaker pres- Eisenhower’s decision to send in fed- ident who delegated principal deci- eral troops to Little Rock, Ark., in 1957 sion making to White House chief of to enforce the district court’s order to Sherman Adams and Secretary of desegregate Central High School was State John Foster Dulles. “the hardest decision [Ike] had had to Beginning with Stephen E. Am- make since D-Day.” Those who criticize brose’s two-volume biography of Ei- Eisenhower for not moving fast enough senhower just prior to the centennial of on civil rights should remember “that it Eisenhower’s birth, a number of promi- was his judicial nominees who made nent historians, including Carlo D’Este the revolution possible.” (Eisenhower: A Soldier’s Life), Geoffrey To his credit, Smith addresses the less Perret (Eisenhower) and Michael Korda attractive aspects of Ike’s career and is (Ike: An American Hero), have produced “Human events,” Smith writes, citing very willing to offer his interpretations standard biographies of America’s 34th Machiavelli, “are half determined by as to their validity, though Smith con- President. Whereas each author con- fortuna, and from the beginning, fortune fines many of his personal opinions to tributes to our understanding of Eisen- smiled on Ike.” Far more important the explanatory footnotes. He accepts hower, Smith opines that some of Ike’s was how Eisenhower rose to the occa- at face value that Eisenhower enjoyed a biographers—he cites Ambrose in par- sion once he reached positions of au- wartime relationship with Kay Sum- ticular—“twisted the facts to fit [their] thority. Following World War II, Eisen- mersby. When the war ended and Ike portrayal of Ike.” hower drifted naturally to politics. As returned to the United States, “ambi- Smith offers a sympathetic portrayal President, Ike proved he was “the right tion conquered affection” and Eisen- of the man who not only commanded man at the right place at the right time.” hower closed the book on his relation- the largest coalition army in history, Smith makes his greatest contribu- ship with Summersby. Did Eisenhower but also guided his country through a tion in challenging the standard inter- write a letter to Army chief Marshall turbulent decade in American politics pretations of Eisenhower’s life. Con- expressing his desire to divorce Mamie and left the office more popular than trary to conventional wisdom, Smith and to marry Summersby? The tangi- any of his successors. As a biographer, credits Third Army commander then- ble evidence says no, but Smith re- Smith has few equals. The author of LTG Walter Krueger, not Eisenhower, mains convinced of the validity of the highly acclaimed FDR, winner of as the real genius behind Krueger’s “the Marshall letter.” the 2008 Francis Parkman Prize; Grant, Blue Army’s success in the Texas- Smith also assesses the political split a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist; John Mar- maneuvers of 1941. Nor that occurred between President Harry shall: Definer of a Nation; and Lucius D. was Eisenhower runner-up to GEN Truman and Eisenhower on Ike’s as- Clay: An American Life, Smith is cur- George C. Marshall to command Op- sumption of the Presidency and states

May 2012 I ARMY 77 that it was Eisenhower, not Truman, attack on GEN Marshall during the fore, during and post-World War II. who engineered the break. Smith be- 1952 presidential campaign—some- I found his story to be quite grip- lieves strongly that much of “the bitter- thing for which historian Ambrose ping. In the spirit of full disclosure, I ness that developed during the 1952 took Eisenhower to task and cited as knew many of the individuals, among campaign between Eisenhower and one of Ike’s chief failures. A few inac- them Charles A. (Chief) Anderson, Gen. President Truman was attributable less curacies also sprinkle the text. Daniel (Chappie) James Jr., Gen. Henry to political partisanship than to Ike’s These observations aside, Smith has H. (Hap) Arnold, Maj. Gen. Lucius knowledge that he was hostage to the produced a tour de force in this biog- Theus, Lt. Col. Jr., Roscoe possible release of GEN Marshall’s let- raphy of the nation’s 34th President. Draper and Cpt. Percy E. Sutton. ter.” Massive in scope and prodigious in its Moye fills the reader in on the im- research, Eisenhower in War and Peace portance of the National Association espite the merits of Eisenhower in reintroduces us to one of the most re- for the Advancement of Colored Peo- DWar and Peace, there are some mi- markable leaders of the 20th century. ple (NAACP) to the war effort and nor shortcomings. Smith dedicates a Given the fact that Eisenhower gave Roosevelt’s role in large portion of the biography to Ike’s the country eight years of relative instigating “the Experiment” over the development as a leader in the antebel- peace and prosperity, it is hardly a objections of many senior War Depart- lum Army of the interwar period, but surprise that a half century after ment folks. The Experiment refers to reserves scarcely six pages to Eisen- Eisenhower relinquished the Presi- lifting the restriction that prevented hower’s tenure as Army chief of staff. dency, Americans still like Ike. After African American servicemen from Not surprisingly, given his current role reading Eisenhower in War and Peace, it learning to . Supporters of this ex- on the faculty at Columbia University, is easy to understand why. periment, such as W.E.B. Du Bois, the Smith provides a far more lengthy ex- Courier and the De- amination of Ike’s tenure as President COL Cole C. Kingseed, USA Ret., Ph.D., fender, were able to overcome this re- of Columbia. Smith also glosses over a former professor of history at the U.S. striction, which stemmed from the Eisenhower’s failure to condemn Sena- Military Academy, is a writer and con- devastating conclusion of the 1925 tor Joseph McCarthy for the senator’s sultant. Army War College study. “The Use of Negro Manpower in War” stated in parts: “The Negro, particularly the of- ‘The Experiment’ Reconsidered ficer, failed in the World War; black troops had proven in the course of the Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Air- ing the history of the first African- war that their unique biological des- men of World War II. J. Todd Moye. American military pilots, but he also tiny suited them for service in labor Oxford University Press. 241 pages; exceeded all expectations I’ve ever battalions but not combat units. Under index; black-and-white photographs; no circumstances, they recommended, $17.95. should the War Department throw good money after bad in an effort to By LTG Julius W. Becton Jr. mold them into capable officers.” U.S. Army retired Throughout this excellent history is a common thread of the historically reedom Flyers: The of black colleges and universities, the FWWII is more than the story of the black press, the impact of politicians’ 332nd Fighter Group. It is also the story concern about the Negro vote, and the of the black American from the degra- NAACP’s national legal committee, dation of Jim Crow and deep segrega- precursor to its Legal Defense & Edu- tion up to the promotion of Daniel cation Fund, led by Thurgood Mar- (Chappie) James Jr. to his fourth star shall. Moye goes on to say, “The Tus- and assumption of command of the kegee Airmen were among the first North American Aerospace Defense Americans to imagine the kind of Command. racially integrated society that most J. Todd Moye, a history professor at Americans now take for granted. They the University of North Texas, directed worked and sacrificed and proved that the National Park Service’s five-year such a society could exist and thrive.” Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project. He notes that “not all black Ameri- He draws on those interviews to inject a cans at the time appreciated the Tus- first person, insider feel into his exhaus- kegee program; many considered it an tive study of the Tuskegee program. As held for literature describing the plight embarrassing symbol of Jim Crow in- such, he did a superb job in present- of the black man in the U.S. Army be- equality. But blacks did show a remark-

May 2012 I ARMY 79 able unanimity in forcing the fight for press to refocus its attention on the War sciousness of difference in skin color equality and democracy within the bor- Department’s use of the 99th and “gal- among both white and Negro flyers of ders of the United States to the fore- vanized black public opinion behind the 79th Group.” He documented an front of American war aims.” He ac- the squadron.” The Army Chief of Staff, incident in which white flyers of the knowledges that in fighting the war on GEN George Marshall, directed a study 79th disobeyed an order from the the- two fronts, “ did of the squadron’s effectiveness, which ater commander and held a desegre- not defeat white supremacy in the concluded that “‘there was no signifi- gated dinner party with dancing to cel- United States once and for all. They did cant difference’ between the ebrate the anniversary of the group’s not by themselves end racial segrega- 99th’s performance and that of other entrance to combat. “We have fought tion in the armed forces. It would take fighter squadrons in the Mediterranean together for a year, some of our mem- the renewed commitment of thousands Theater of Operations.” bers have died together, and when we of individuals and the creation of new The squadron was attached to an- celebrate we are going to do it together institutions to accomplish these goals other group, integrated into the work no matter what the top brass says.” in the decades following World War II.” of the 79th Group and treated as White offered a theory explaining why equals. On a larger scale, given an op- race relations were so much better at ollowing the initial deployment of portunity to do something more than the front lines of the war: “I became Fthe 99th Pursuit Squadron, first to menial Army chores, the pilots of the convinced in of the soundness of North Africa and then Italy, the military 99th became examples of what blacks the formula which has almost mathe- leadership in Washington remained in the other services could accomplish matical exactitude … that race preju- quite skeptical about the experiment. A if afforded a fair chance. dice flourishes in inverse ratio to prox- squadron commander’s testimony be- Following this change, NAACP Ex- imity to actual fighting. The pettiness fore the War Department’s Advisory ecutive Director Walter White, who had of race and creedal differences are Committee on Negro Troop Policies previously toured the European The- sloughed off when men face sudden (better known as the McCloy Commit- ater of Operations as a war correspon- death.” tee, after its chairman, Assistant Secre- dent for the Post, returned to Moye’s discussion of the creation of tary of War John J. McCloy) concluded Europe and made the following obser- the all-black 477th Medium Bombard- that the experiment should be termi- vation: “The most remarkable develop- ment Group was rather painful for this nated. Such testimony caused the black ment was the total obliteration of con- reviewer. It brought back memories of

ANNOUNCING AUSA’s Member Support Call Center

Our new call center is up and running. The call center will answer AUSA membership related questions and concerns.

855-246-6269 DIRECT DIAL

ASSOCIATION OF THE US ARMY | 2425 Wilson Blvd. | Arlington, VA 22201

80 ARMY I May 2012 being a black man in our Army, some- Following successful completion of In- Christ minister. As a teenager Parrish one who had volunteered because fantry Officer Candidate School at Fort worked to pass resolutions opposing GEN Hap Arnold had visited our high Benning, Ga., where I enjoyed a com- war and racial segregation in his fa- school. (I use the term our because pletely integrated training program as ther’s church. He entered Rice Institute both Henry H. Arnold and Julius W. long as I remained in the training area in Houston, Texas, at the age of 14 and Becton graduated from Lower Merion (unlike my friends at Tuskegee), I re- graduated in 1928. Unable to find a job, High School in suburban Philadel- he returned to Rice to become a teacher. phia.) Six of us enlisted in the Army When school administrators refused to Air Corps enlisted reserves following hire a man not much older than the stu- his visit. Upon graduation in the sum- dents, Parrish ended up joining the mer of 1944, I was sent to Mississippi Army. His fear of horses led him to ask and my five classmates to Florida. for a transfer from the 11th U.S. Cav- alry to the Army Air Corps, and he he treatment at Keesler Field, Bi- graduated from basic aviation training Tloxi, Miss., where I was eliminated at Randolph Field, Texas, earning his from the pre-flight program for 20:25 ’s commission in vision and assigned to an aviation engi- 1932. Shortly afterwards, Parrish lost neer battalion at MacDill Field, Tampa, his commission due to a reduction in Fla., was depicted in the book. I could orce force, but he reenlisted and flew trans- Air F have been trained as a bombardier or U.S. port planes as a first class. With navigator as Moye describes in detail. turned to the realities of soldiering in a his subsequent recall to active duty as a The treatment of German and Italian segregated army by joining the black reserve officer, Parrish lived up to the prisoners of war was such that they 93rd Infantry Division on the island of values inculcated in his childhood and came before the black airmen and sol- Morotai after V-J Day. substantiates my inclination to add a diers. Moye’s details of black commis- Throughout Freedom Flyers Moye second subtitle to MOYE’s work: The sioned airmen at Godman Field, Ky., weaves the story of BG Noel F. Parrish, Tuskegee Airmen of World War II—And are almost exactly as described to me whom Moye describes as a Southern How Noel Parrish Made It Happen. by my best man, LT James R. Williams. white liberal, the son of a Disciple of “When the black aviation cadets be-

May 2012 I ARMY 81 gan training in July 1941,” Moye writes, “the entire U.S. military had exactly two Va r i e d Fa r e black officers other than chaplains on active duty, BG Benjamin O. Davis Sr.,” and his son, then-Cpt. B. O. Davis Jr., a Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun. 1936 graduate of West Point and the fu- Paul M. Barrett. Random House. 304 ture commander of the 99th squadron. pages; index; $26. The announcement of its creation was Although it was fielded primarily clearly a political move along with the to special operations elements within promotion to the rank of general offi- the U.S. armed services, few military cer. Parrish’s unique people skills were personnel have not had some level of thoroughly challenged in assisting CPT contact or discussions regarding the Davis to become a successful pilot. pistol models created by Gaston Glock, One final note: B. O. Davis Sr. be- an Austrian car-radiator factory oper- came a brigadier general in 1941. ator who had previously turned a side Thirty-one years later, in 1972, I be- business of making door hinges and came the sixth black American general curtain hardware into a contract to officer in the Army. manufacture field knives and bayo- nets for the Austrian Army. LTG Julius W. Becton Jr., USA Ret., Glock’s lack of weapons background served nearly 40 years in the U.S. when learning of an upcoming Aus- Army. In addition to serving in World trian military competition for a new War II, the and the Viet- pistol in the early 1980s allowed him nam War, LTG Becton commanded the to approach the requirement with a VII Corps in Europe during the Cold fresh perspective. The resulting Glock War. In 2007 he was awarded AUSA’s 17—actually named for his 17th inven- trian competition with a resulting 1983 highest honor, the George Catlett Mar- tion while coincidentally carrying a order for the first 20,000 weapons. shall Medal. 17-round magazine—won the Aus- Although Glock declined to com- pete in the 1984 trials to select a new sidearm for U.S. soldiers—trials that resulted in the U.S. Army’s selection ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPOSITION of the Beretta M9—the innovative de- A Professional Development Forum sign features surrounding Glock’s “plastic gun” helped to change the face of the semiautomatic handgun market in both law enforcement and civilian applications. Author Paul Barrett presents the Glock story in a well-researched, fast- –1 JUNE moving style that brings together the Online Registration Starts people, the technologies, the business decisions, the political gun-control  Q Go to www.ausa.org and click on the small Annual Meeting debates, and related societal issues image or the Annual Meeting link ranging from movie placements to the  Q Fill out the registration form and click “Submit” flexibility of rhyming Glock in a ple- thora of hip-hop and rap music lyr-  Q 7YPU[`V\YJVUÄYTH[PVU^P[O`V\YWLYZVUHSPaLKIHYJVKL ics.  Q )YPUN[OPZ^P[O`V\YNV]LYUTLU[PZZ\LKWOV[V0+[V[OL While U.S. military applications 9LNPZ[YH[PVU+LZR[VWPJR\W`V\YIHKNL were originally focused on specialized See you there! units with their own acquisition au- thority, recent U.S. decisions to field  /#4/"%2s7!3().'4/. $# more than 200,000 of the pistols to Afghan and Iraqi police and military ASSOCIATION OF THE forces over several years increase the >PSZVU)V\SL]HYK‹ Arlington, VA 22201 significance of this excellent book for  ‹ ‹^^^H\ZHVYN a specialized military audience. —Scott R. Gourley

82 ARMY I May 2012